Design history

I have followed with interest the debate about engineers' involvement in bridge design competitions. As I am neither bridge engineer nor architect, I hesitate to offer an opinion.

However, in browsing my bookcase recently, I found a book entitled The Aesthetic Aspect of Civil Engineering Design - A Record of Six Lectures delivered at the ICE.

This was published in 1945, so the debate is not new. Of the six authors, only two were engineers, three were architects and one was an artist.

In his opening remarks to the first lecture, the Chairman, David Anderson, ICE president, explained that the lectures had been arranged because 'there was a need to stimulate within civil engineers and civil engineering students an appreciation of aesthetic considerations in relation to their work'.

Does the proposal that we should now opt out of design competitions mean that, after over 60 years, ICE' s aesthetic credentials have not improved?

Have your say

Please remember that the submission of any material is governed by our Terms and Conditions and by submitting material you confirm your agreement to these Terms and Conditions. Please note comments made online may also be published in the print edition of New Civil Engineer. Links may be included in your comments but HTML is not permitted.

A subscription to New Civil Engineer...

...offers in-depth analysis of the news that matters, interviews and commentary
from leading industry players and special reports on key events, it’s the resource that helps you make better business decisions.